Mice vying for females have 'thicker' penises: study

A thicker penis likely results in "higher genital stimulation on the female," said Goncalo Andre, co-author of a study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Image:
AFP

Male mice develop a thicker penis if they grow up around other males, a study has revealed.

The exact reason is not known, but it is thought that competition for sex drives the difference in penis shape compared to mice that grow up in female-only environments, according to scientists at the University of Western Australia.

A thicker penis likely results in "higher genital stimulation on the female," said Goncalo Andre, co-author of a study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.

Unlike humans, male mice have what is called an "ossified" penis, which means it sports a bone.

For the study, Andre and a team exposed young, male house mice to two different environments.